Map › France › Normandie — Ouistreham - Baie de la Pointe du Siege to Houlgate › Houlgate
Normandie · Calvados, Cote Fleurie · Calvados
Houlgate
also known as Plage de Houlgate
Nearby Cap Cabourg under 1 km · Ouistreham - Baie de la Pointe du Siege 11 km · Merville-Franceville-Plage 11 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Late evening for the reported summer thermal; otherwise null.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Late evening for the reported summer thermal; otherwise null.
Typical strength
A summer thermal of about 16-17 knots late in the evening is reported; otherwise no typical range is published.
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic; offshore directions require boat-supported lessons.
Also on record
21.8
The quiver, in words
Nothing is published for the beach itself, so this is indicative from the wind the spot actually gets rather than a local measurement. A 75-85 kg rider on a twintip is on 11-12 m for the 10-16 knot summer evening thermal, 9-10 m for the 15-22 knots that carry most of the October-March season, and 7-8 m once it is over 25. E and NE days are the ones that catch people out: the cliff effect adds 5-10 knots to the forecast, so pick the smaller kite before you walk across the sand.
Direction to shore
On the north-facing Cote Fleurie beach, W to NW are side-onshore, N is onshore, NE is side-onshore, and S-sector winds are offshore.
Dominant direction
W through NE are preferred; O, NO, N and NE are also listed, along with WSW/SW to W and NW.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month56
- Feb, riders' month44
- Mar, riders' month65
- Apr50
- May39
- Jun27
- Jul29
- Aug23
- Sep33
- Oct, riders' month35
- Nov, riders' month57
- Dec, riders' month56
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 56%Jan8°
- 44%Feb8°
- 65%Mar9°
- 50%Apr11°
- 39%May15°
- 27%Jun18°
- 29%Jul20°
- 23%Aug21°
- 33%Sep20°
- 35%Oct17°
- 57%Nov12°
- 56%Dec9°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56% | 69% | 61% | 14.8 kt | S | 13:00 | 6.4°C | 8°C | 62 |
| Feb | 44% | 61% | 58% | 13.3 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 8.1°C | 8.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 65% | 77% | 73% | 14.7 kt | S | 13:00 | 9.4°C | 9.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 50% | 75% | 63% | 13.9 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 10.6°C | 11.4°C | 60 |
| May | 39% | 55% | 50% | 12.5 kt | N | 15:00 | 14°C | 15°C | 62 |
| Jun | 27% | 48% | 40% | 10.8 kt | NNE | 15:00 | 16.9°C | 18.1°C | 60 |
| Jul | 29% | 56% | 47% | 12 kt | NNE | 15:00 | 18.8°C | 20.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 23% | 45% | 37% | 11.7 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 19.3°C | 21°C | 62 |
| Sep | 33% | 55% | 45% | 11.8 kt | NNE | 14:00 | 17.2°C | 19.5°C | 60 |
| Oct | 35% | 60% | 52% | 12.4 kt | S | 12:00 | 14.7°C | 16.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 57% | 70% | 67% | 14.9 kt | S | 13:00 | 10.4°C | 12.4°C | 60 |
| Dec | 56% | 69% | 66% | 15.4 kt | S | 13:00 | 7.4°C | 9.2°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
sea
Standing depth
Standable in low-tide basins; partial standing depth at high tide.
Tides
Works at low and high tide; mid tide can form shallow baïnes/natural basins for one to two hours, and small coefficients around 30 can leave them full longer.
Temperature
19.3°C summer · 8.5°C winter
Wetsuit
3/2 to 4/3 in summer depending on wind; hooded 5/4 or 6/5 with boots, gloves and hood in winter.
Currents
Strong current is reported near the river mouth on outgoing tide and at high tide.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Cap Cabourg, under 1 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
VHF channel 16
Launch
Wide sandy launch on Plage de Houlgate in front of the town; the school is at 78 Rue des Bains. Riders use the Temple car park next to the local kite association. Two riding sectors are in use: one past the lifeguard post towards Dives-sur-Mer, the other beyond the Casino and its post towards the cliffs.
Space
large
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ride the low- to mid-tide basins for flat, shallow water; they hold for an hour or two, longer on small coefficients around 30.
- Stay away from the river mouth on the outgoing tide and at high water; the current is strong, more so with SW/W wind behind it.
- In E or NE wind, add 5-10 knots to the forecast for the cliff effect and size down.
- From 1 May to 30 September, launch and ride only in the 150 m kite channel between the Rue Sebastien-de-Neufville groin and Rue du Drochon; the 88 m channel by Rue des Bains-Chauds is windsurf only.
- In S-sector wind do not launch from the beach; it is offshore, and the school takes lessons out by boat.
- Park at the Temple car park by the kite association; the two sectors run from past the lifeguard post towards Dives-sur-Mer and from beyond the Casino post towards the cliffs.
- Lifeguards only cover the beach from 1 May at weekends and holidays, then daily from 4 July. The October-to-March wind season has no cover at all, so ride with someone.
- On a big coefficient at high water the sand runs out and the shore break lands on the wall; time your session for the ebb instead.
Getting there
Airport
Caen-Carpiquet Airport or Deauville-Normandie Airport
Route
Train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Caen, Trouville-Deauville or Dives-Cabourg; by car, A13 exit 29 Dozule; coaches from Paris and Caen; ferry into Ouistreham; or fly to Caen-Carpiquet.
Transfer
35 min
Staying
Hotels, rentals and bed-and-breakfasts in Houlgate and along the Cabourg and Pays d'Auge coast.
No-wind days
Vaches Noires cliffs, Houlgate Belle Epoque town, Cabourg promenade, Dives estuary, Houlgate Wind Festival, sailing, windsurfing, catamaran, paddle, kayaking, golf and tennis.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kitesurf at Houlgate?
October to March is listed as the windy season, though the school teaches beach lessons year-round and uses a boat for offshore south-sector wind.
Is Houlgate suitable for beginners?
Yes, the local school Kite Paradise teaches from age 12 upward using low-tide natural pools sheltered from waves, with radio-coached small groups.
What is the wind like at Houlgate?
West through northeast are the preferred beach-launch directions; south-sector wind is offshore and handled by boat for lessons.
What hazards should riders know about at Houlgate?
Strong current is reported near the river mouth on outgoing tide and at high tide, and east/northeast wind can be disturbed by the Vaches Noires cliffs and read stronger than forecast.
Last updated: August 2026